VOLUME 26, ISSUE 17 | APRIL 24, 2026 |
STORY OR STYLE? I "lurk" on social media writing groups sometimes, and recently someone asked if their idea was good enough to write. I had to reply. "You will learn that ideas are a dime a dozen. It all depends on how
well you write it." I will read a beautifully written story regardless the plot, whereas I would do-not-read a story with a great imaginative idea that's not well written. You can tell a novice when they think story first and rush the craft. Taking time with the craft allows you write just about anything. The reader may not realize it, but they will gravitate to a
well-written book 90% of the time. |
Editing That Respects Your Voice While Strengthening It—Using 100% Human Eyes! At Copper Quill Editing, every manuscript is treated like a finely engineered marvel. Specializing in: - Fiction genres including romance, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, YA, and literary fiction
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Contact me at [email protected] for a free 1,000-word sample edit. www.copperquillediting.com THIS. . .
“I'd like just to be remembered as a guy that came along and did his music, did his best and showed up on time, clean and ready to do the job, wrote a few songs, and had a hell of a time.” – Buck Owens, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens Buck Owens was popular in country music back for many decades, lastly in the 2000s. When he played it was always uplifting. He thoroughly enjoyed what he did, and he relished the privilege of being able to do what he loved for a living. This. . . this is first and foremost for most writers. Love writing. Love reading. Love being able to do both. End your life embracing the reality that you got to do what you adored doing. If this doesn't cross your mind, if you are writing to turn a dollar more so than enjoying the effort, stop and think. If you aren't in love with writing, then what else might you be abandoning that you might love better? Write as if you do it
for enjoyment and won't make money, and the reader will be able to feel it.
-April 30, 2026 - Edisto Bookstore, 547 SC-174, Edisto Island, SC - 3-5PM -June 4, 2026 - Chapin Library,
Chapin, SC - 1-2 PM -June 13-20, 2026 - Gutsy Great Novel Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine - Hope as author-in-residence -July 25, 2026 - Smoking Guns Sisters in
Crime Zoom meeting - Noon - Zoom -August 17, 2026 - Saluda County Library, Saluda, SC - 5:30-7 PM -October 27-28,
2026 - SC Library Conference, Columbia Convention Ctr - lunch speaker -November 15-21, 2026 - Edisto Beach, signings TBD
Email: [email protected] to schedule events, online or otherwise. "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." – Joan Didion
Moaning about AI on LinkedIn Won’t Get You Hired
By Dan Brotzel
LinkedIn attracts people who make money from writing and language – content creators, ad copywriters, seo and marcoms writers, brand voice specialists
and all the rest. It’s a place to network, debate industry topics, and subtly showcase skills. Recently these wordy people are posting more obsessively about two things – AI and ‘grammar’ or writing advice. On the AI side, they talk about how AI can't deliver some essential ingredient such as humour or character. They talk about how to spot the difference between AI and human
writing, as if businesses cared (it’s more often a combo of AI + human, I’ve found, as I wrote about here). A few clients want writers to run their copy through AI checkers, which makes for a lot of posting and talk about things to avoid so you don’t sound like AI. At the same time, however, many clients have no problem with AI and expect writers to be au fait with prompts and tools. So the writers tie themselves in knots
explaining how AI can’t replicate humans but how they also use AI as a 'collaborative co-writing tool' because it makes sense to stay ahead of the curve. In short: we'll be whatever you want us to be! just give us some work! If I'm honest, plenty of the writing work I've done over the years was absolutely ripe for AI – spurious 'editorial' articles written only to shoehorn in search keywords, endless variations of the same email
content for different audiences (segmentation!), repurposed product placement posts, a single piece of (painfully) signed-off messaging recycled across a hundred channels and formats. Writers claiming that AI creating these types of assignments is some sort of tragic undermining of the human writer spirit. That whining does the writing community no favours. The other thing
writers post endlessly about is writing advice. They love to quote Ogilvy and Orwell and Strunk & White. They share ancient writing tips (Say ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’! Don’t forget structure! Say ‘you’ not ‘we’!) and discuss usages they don’t like (using possessive pronouns when you’re not describing possession means you stupid!). Regrettably, many of their takes fly in the face of actual linguistics, with which many self-appointed word nerds seem alarmingly unfamiliar. The other thing they do is critique bits of marketing. They point out typos in product descriptions, diss the brand strategy behind ad campaigns spotted on the subway, or dispense hoary nuggets of marketing wisdom. This group of people seem woefully fearful for their future, with too much time allotted to posting opinions and complaints. This type of voice reeks of desperation.
Commercial writers are losing work, agencies that once employed us are shrinking or disappearing, and brands are using us less. Like many, I have lost jobs and projects to AI. Clearly, there are more and more of us fighting over a smaller and smaller pie. But writers going on and on about AI and grammar-splaining are not doing themselves any favours. The only people that respond to these messages... are other writers. Round and round
they go, peeving and fretting in their under-employed echo chambers. If I was a person with a budget to spend on a commercial writer, I'd look for someone talking about interesting stuff, maybe that they are an expert in writing about, joining in debates I care about, not parading their despair. Fiction writers are often warned that a writer writing about writing is a bit of a turn-off. Likewise, nerding on about words probably isn’t
going to get you that juicy copy gig, either. Dan Brotzel’s latest novels are Thank You For The Days and The Wolf in the Woods. He
also writes widely on Medium
STORIES THAT NEED TO BE TOLD CONTEST
https://www.tuliptreepub.com/thecontest
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 9, 2026. There is still only one category: the Story. That means fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—as long as it tells a story,
it fits. Grand Prize: $1,000 and a 2-year ($100) gift certificate to Duotrope. Five additional prizes of $200 will be given for stories that excel in the merits of Humor, Passion, Depth, and (any form of) Love. An additional $200 prize will be awarded in a wild card category, to be determined by the entries. Prose: 10,000 words. Poetry: 5 pages per poem (note: one poem per entry fee). WOW! SPRING FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2026. Flash fiction of any genre 250 - 750 words. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. 1st Place: $600, a spot in Reedsy's How to Write a Novel Course ($499 value), a 12-Month Reedsy Learning Membership ($249 value)
publication, interview, and $25
Amazon Gift Certificate. 2nd Place: $300, publication, and more. 3rd Place: $200, publication, and more. 7 Runners Up. 10 Honorable mentions. Top 10 stories are published in the WOW! Women On Writing e-zine, and contestants are interviewed on WOW's blog, The Muffin. HG WELLS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://hgwellscompetition.com/
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 7, 2026. Offers a £500 Senior and £1,000 Junior prize and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology. Theme: The Cheat. The length must be 1,500 to 5,000 words. CROOKS CORNER BOOK PRIZE
https://crookscornerbookprize.com/submission-guidelines/
$35 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2026. The submitted book must be the author’s first published novel for adult readers, published in the United States between January 1, 2025, and May 15, 2026. Regardless of the author’s residence, a qualifying novel must be predominantly set in the American South. $5,000 for
the best debut novel set in the American South. WINSTON SALEM FLYING SOUTH
https://www.wswriters.org/flying-south
$15-25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2026. Poetry – 3 poems, 10 pages max. Fiction – up to 5000 words; includes flash fiction, short stories, and novel excerpts.
Nonfiction – up to 3500 words; includes memoir, essay, journal entries, and other creative nonfiction. Winning submissions in each of the three categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry) will be awarded prizes of $400 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and $100 for a total of $2,100 in prizes. All finalists will be accepted for publication and will receive one copy of the current issue of Flying South. All entries will be considered for publication.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MISSISSIPPI INDIVIDUAL PROJECT GRANTS
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/project-grants-for-individuals/
Individual Project Grants provide funding to support community-oriented projects
organized by artists in Mississippi. These grants are given to individuals to support innovation, to propel artist’s careers and to encourage collaboration between artists and communities. Up to $2,000 to individuals. Activities supported by the grant must take place between July 1 of the current year and June 30 of the following year. ARTIST TRUST GRANTS FOR ARTISTS
https://artisttrust.org/grants/grants-for-artist-projects/
Deadline June 22, 2026. Unrestricted project-based grants of $2,500 awarded to 65 artists working in all disciplines across Washington State. Literary Arts category includes Creative Nonfiction, Experimental/Hybrid Works, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Zines. MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL
https://missouriartscouncil.org/grants/
The Missouri Arts Council is now accepting applications for FY2027 Express Grants. These grants feature a simpler application and rolling deadlines to fund arts projects, educational initiatives, and community touring taking place between July 1, 2026, and June 30,
2027. $4,000 maximum. ALAN ANDRES WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM - BOSTON
https://www.associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/writer-in-residence-program/
Deadline June 5, 2026. Provide an emerging children’s writer with the financial
support, editorial assistance, and office space needed to complete one literary work for children or young adults. A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year. The opportunity to request up to $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, or a critical reading of your manuscript. A private office in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2026 to September 2027. ALAN ANDRES PICTURE BOOK WRITER FELLOWSHIP - BOSTON
https://www.associatesbpl.org/events-and-programs/picture-book-writer-fellowship/
Deadline June 5, 2026. Provide an emerging writer of a picture book for children with the financial support and editorial assistance needed to complete
one work for children ages 0 to 10. $25,000 stipend, paid in monthly installments over one year. The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections (the writer retains all rights to their completed work).
THE MARGINS
https://aaww.org/call-for-submissions-open-city/
https://aaww.org/the-margins-rates/
The
Margins seeks pitches and submissions to Open City, its journalism section devoted to chronicling the pulse of Asian America. Through articles, features, interviews, and profiles, Open City covers Asian immigrant and Muslim communities with an emphasis on social, racial, and gender justice issues. Send your pitch of no more than 500 words to [email protected]. Pays $150 to $450. SOUTHWEST CONTEMPORARY
https://southwestcontemporary.com/classifieds/call-for-pitches-southwest-contemporary-vol-14-alien/
Deadline May 8, 2026. We seek writers based in or closely connected to the North American Southwest for our
Fall-Winter 2026-27 issue, Volume 14: Alien. Pitches should be focused on contemporary artists working in the region who are grappling with political, social, psychic, and cosmic dimensions of the alien. The fee will be agreed upon at the time of commission, and typically range $100–500. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION
https://www.nationalforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NFF-Light-and-Seed-WS26-The-Response_Call-for-Pitches.pdf
The National Forest Foundation is looking for story pitches for its Winter/Spring 2026 issue of Light & Seed magazine, which will focus on how technology and innovation intersects with National Forests
and Grasslands in the U.S. Send pitches to Erin at [email protected] by Wednesday, May 28. For 1,000 words pays $1,000. First drafts due Monday, June 16. EATER
https://www.eater.com/2016/12/15/13962822/eater-pitching-guidelines-how-to-pitch
The hospitality and food industries are among the most dynamic and powerful lenses for storytelling, and we particularly enjoy hearing from writers whose interests, experiences, and areas of expertise originate outside of the food world. Pays competitively. THE KITCHN
https://www.thekitchn.com/submit-your-food-budget-diary-for-kitchns-new-series-241426
The purpose of this column is to show our readers how real people across the United States and the globe spend their money on food and drinks throughout the week. Every diary entry will highlight seven days of food — groceries, restaurants, drinks, and freebies — from
someone who lives within a weekly food budget. If we ask you to write a full diary, we’ll pay you $150.
BEACON PUBLISHING
https://www.beaconpublishinggroup.com/submissions
Beacon has a broad array of titles in fiction & non-fiction, including business, young adult, history, romance, mystery, horror, comedy, childrens, health &
wellness and more. Submissions can be made with or without an agent. FITZROY BOOKS
https://fitzroybooks.com/
Fitzroy Books is a traditional press (and a proud member of The Children’s Book Council) publishing finely crafted works of Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction. Charges a $5 submission fee. CURIOSITY UNLOCKED BOOKS
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/submission-guidelines
Curiosity Unlocked Books publishes engaging, curiosity-driven books for children ages birth through twelve. We seek fiction and nonfiction that spark imagination, connect to children’s
interests, build knowledge, and inspire a love of reading and learning.
FUNDSFORWRITERS FINE PRINT Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact [email protected] for permission. Do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish out of ours.
C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com Copyright 2000-2025, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326 Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests, and grants although research is done to the best of our
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newsletter, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Poets & Writers, Duotrope, Winning Writers, Write Jobs Plus, LinkedIn Jobs, Emily Stoddard, and other newsletters and online sites. Many announcements are submitted directly to FundsforWriters. All must be paying opportunities. Contests must pay a minimum of $200 first place. Submit potential listings to [email protected] **Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter. ALL ads are related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. While the mailing list is
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